Machines will be smarter than humans within 10 yearsArtificial intelligence will surpass human intelligence by 2020, according to one expert. Is the human race engineering our own demise? Is civilisation nearing the Singularity? All hail our new robot overlords.
September, 2009
Kohler: Government bludgeons Telstra into submission
It didn’t have to be like this, says Alan Kohler. The government has laid down a condition for issuing spectrum: it won’t be sold to Telstra if it’s an integrated telco at the time. But legislation to ensure this happens is overkill.
Obama calls Kanye West a jackass; internet explodes
US President Barack Obama labled rapper Kanye West a “jackass” in off-the-record “banter” with journos yesterday. But one reporter just couldn’t help Tweeting it. Cue internet meltdown.
Hartcher: Rudd risks unpopularity for broadband
The forced Telstra split is a flash of steel from the government, says Peter Hartcher. PM Kevin Rudd and Communications Minister Stephen Conroy are unmoved by Telstra shareholders’ ire; they just want to get broadband moving.
Airport security madness could get a whole lot crazier
So you think airport security screening is bad now? asks Ben Sandilands: a new report about terrorists smuggling bombs in their anal cavities (no, really) could see cabin-security fever reach new levels.
Obama vs the lobbyists: who’s winning?
On his first day in office, Barack Obama issued an executive order targeting lobbyists’ power. But with 3,300 lobbyists working on health care alone, he underestimated the task ahead. Andy Kroll checks out the scorecard.
A sneak-peek inside the Bush White House
A former Bush speech writer has released some tasty tidbits from his forthcoming insider’s account of working in the Dubbya White House, revealing the former President’s trash talk about Obama, Palin, Biden and others.
Grattan: Good call, Conroy
The government’s decision to split Telstra was the right call to make, says Michelle Grattan — one that will see both parties reap the rewards.
Stutchbury: A long time coming
The government’s break-up of Telstra is a bold move, but one Howard or Hawke should have had the foresight to do years ago, says Michael Stutchbury.
Climate change is ruining beer
We were willing to sacrifice the Amazon for the sake of our air con, but this is too far: climate change is ruining the flavour of hops, a key ingredient in beer, and the very existence of delicious pilsner lager is now at stake.
FAQ: What exactly is a war crime? Who lays down the law?
Both Israel and Palestine have been accused of committing war crimes in Gaza. But just what constitutes a “crime” in a state of war? And who makes up the rules?
UN: Israel and Hamas guilty of war crimes
A UN fact-finding mission has accused both Israel and Palestine of committing war crimes in Gaza, with the former shelling civilian hospitals with white phosphorus and the latter wreaking terror with rockets.
Shanghai’s two-child policy (for some)
Shanghai’s government has started to let some couples have a second child (under some circumstances). They’re trying to counteract the city’s very low birth rates without breaking the country’s long-standing policy.
Rudd rips off Telstra’s ma and pa shareholders
“Rudd wants the political kudos of appearing to promote more competition while remaining disinclined to paying tens of billions of dollars’ compensation to his targeted victims: Telstra shareholders”. Unconstitutional, says Peter Swan
Breakfast Media Wrap: Telstra dominates the news but look out for the snake-killing rabbit
The pick of this morning’s media
Has Google flipped out?
Google has released a new content browser called Fast Flip that allows readers to “flip” through online news articles as they would a magazine — and they’re even going to share some of the revenue with the contents’ actual publishers. Genius or gimmick?
Where the real death panels are
Sarah Palin may have sounded batty accusing Obama of creating “death panels” to determine whether the sick and elderly should live or die, but they do exist, in one form or another, all over the world. Even in the US.
Michael Moore: “Newspapers slit their own throats”
Film-maker Michael Moore has weighed-in on the death of the American daily newspaper industry: capitalism is the killer. Oh, and he’s just released a film about capitalism. Funny that. Still, a witty and worthwhile analysis.
Spiderman, Captain America… Ravana the 10-headed demon king?
Fresh from acquiring Marvel Comics, Disney is now eyeing off the lucrative market for Indian comic books and cartoons. Based on ancient Hindu mythology, the stories are apparently big business with the world’s 900-odd million Hindus.
Has Conroy bitten off more than he can chew?
The government has created three monster projects that it has prime responsibility for: the creation of the NBN, the dismantling of Telstra, and the re-regulation of a telecommunications market. Good luck.
The time has come for climate change song
Midnight Oil hit ‘Beds are Burning’, sung by our own Minister for Environment Peter Garrett, is to be re-recorded. Usual suspects like Bob Geldof and Duran Duran are contributing to raise awareness of climate change.
The world’s most amazing playgrounds
From play equipment for seniors in Germany, to a park made out of 3,000 tires in Japan, here’s a collection of the world’s most unusual playgrounds. Not a monkey bars to be found.
New Yorker, the fashion edition
With New York fashion week happening RIGHT NOW, Lee Tran Lam digests the New Yorker’s annual style issue. Particularly notable, a “sassifying” interior decorator with a penchant for “muchness”.
Where are the world’s greenest cities?
With Asia expected to be responsible for over half of the world’s green house gases, the onus is now on it to build new green cities. What are the best global models to copy?
Social networks used to entrap homosexuals in Ghana
In Ghana, where homosexuality is a crime, one of the only ways gay people can connect is through social networking. But now people — with the help of the police — are also using this as an avenue for blackmail.
